Following the Pathway of Destiny
by Taniko Kami
Summary: The Digimon tamers have retired from saving the world and there hasn't been trouble for 25 years. But when trouble begins to arise, can the children of the Tamers continue the legacy? Or is this the end?


Chapter 1: A Normal Day in the Matsuki Household

"Kara! Would you wake up? We're going to be late for school!" called Aiko "Ai" Matsuki. Her elder sister, Takara "Kara" Matsuki, groaned and shifted slightly, opening one eye.

Kara and Ai, despite being sisters, didn't look or act anything alike. Kara had silky brown hair, brown eyes and never took off her father's blue goggles. She was of average height. She didn't care much about her looks and could be considered something of a tomboy.

Ai had short brown hair down to her shoulders, brown eyes that were a darker shade than her sister's, and was quite short for her age. Due to her small stature, most people assumed she was seven or eight rather than her actual age of ten years, which occasionally set her off.

"Five more minutes…" Kara mumbled, not wanting to get up yet. Ai sighed. Her sister could be so lazy sometimes.

"Come on, Kara!" the younger girl persisted, and Kara sighed, finally pulling herself out of bed. The two girls got ready before breakfast to save time and headed downstairs. Their mother, Jeri Matsuki, smiled at them.

"You girls sure took your time! You'd better hurry up and eat so you aren't late for school!" Jeri said in a soft tone, then asked, "Where are Veemon and Biyomon?"

Kara and Ai, as well as some of their friends, had become Digimon Tamers just before or on their eleventhbirthdays.

Veemon had appeared in the real world a day before Kara's eleventhbirthday. Kara had been walking home from school when she saw the little blue dragon being attacked by an evil Digimon. Her pure desire to save him manifested in a Digivice, which made the enemy disappear.

Biyomon came to the real world for her own safety. Ai had found her outside the house, exhausted and beaten. The girl took her in and stayed by her side to help her recover from the emotional trauma she'd suffered, and her good intentions led to her Digivice appearing. The device managed to heal Biyomon physically, though the emotional wounds still surface now and then.

"Biyomon's sleeping, and Veemon's gone to play with Patamon," Ai explained to her mother, selecting one of the loaves of bread that had come out of the oven. Takato and Jeri had taken over Kara and Ai's grandparents' bakery, and Kara had to admit it did have its benefits.

"Mom, would you mind taking the bread up to Biyomon? I'm sure Mickey took some breakfast to Patamon, and he and Veemon can share!" Ai persuaded.

She really hoped Biyomon would be okay while she was at school. Ever since she'd found Biyomon, she'd never felt comfortable leaving her friend by herself. It was surprising: in just a few months, all the Tamers had become so close with their partners that it was like there had always been a connection between them.

Jeri smiled warmly at her younger daughter. "Of course, sweetheart. Now, you two head to school, and please try not to lose focus in your Math class, Kara!" Jeri told them, and Kara smiled sheepishly.

Takato, who had been reading the morning paper, grinned at his eldest daughter. He had been the same at her age. Jeri rolled her eyes as the girls rushed out.

"Takato?" Jeri said softly, causing the man to drop his paper and look her in the eye.

"What's wrong, Jeri?" Takato asked.

"Do you think our children will be called on to face the same dangers we did?" she wondered aloud, averting her gaze. She knew there was definitely a chance of it, but she would never want Kara or Ai to have an experience like she did—not that her time as a Tamer hadn't been the brightest point in her life, it was, but some things she would never wish on anyone...

Takato stood up, pulling his wife in his arms.

"Honey, I'd be lying if I said that our children getting partners was just a coincidence. But if they do have to fight an enemy like the D-Reaper, we'll just have to trust them like our parents trusted us. And in a way, they're lucky: they can come to us for advice. And I'm sure Guilmon can tell Veemon and Biyomon how to handle things if anything happens. Don't worry."

He kissed her forehead gently, and Jeri leaned against her husband's chest. She didn't know what she would do without him.

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The second the girls stepped foot on school grounds (fifteen minutes late, that is), Kara began sprinting to her first class. Turning a corner at breakneck speed, she couldn't stop herself from crashing into Mikaji 'Mickey' Wong, the elder twin of Henry and Rika Wong.

"Whoa! Calm down there, Takara!" Mickey said, chuckling as he fell flat on his back with her on top of him. Kara felt her face flush bright red, and Ai snickered at the expression on her sister's face.

Mickey had blue hair and purple eyes and was slightly taller than most boys his age. He was generally a calm, kind young man.

Kara quickly picked herself up, and Mickey followed her lead.

"Sorry! I slept in, and I'm already so late! I expected you to be in class, though!" she said all in one breath, and Mickey blinked for a moment before laughing good-naturedly.

"Don't you remember? Mrs. Nanami isn't coming in today! Everyone's just doing silent study," Mickey reminded, and Kara groaned. Ai giggled. It was so like her sister to forget something like that...

"Oh, well, I'd better go! My class starts a little later anyway! Bye, Mickey! See ya, Kara!" The younger girl disappeared down the hallway.

Kara frowned a little. "Mickey, why couldn't you have called and reminded me? Now I came early for no reason…" she pouted. Mickey raised an eyebrow.

"Early? Coming in this late doesn't classify as early, missy," Mickey teased, and Kara made a face at him before they sat down on a bench outside.

"Hey, by the way, did you send Patamon some food at the hideout? Veemon went to go play with him, and I wouldn't want him to starve or anything," Kara explained, her thoughts going to her Digimon.

Even though she didn't show it much, she did worry for Veemon a lot. With the way the Tamers' Digimon had arrived, fleeing from something and being attacked, injured, exhausted on top of that…how couldn't she be anxious?

Mickey smiled kindly. "Don't worry. I took them both enough food. Usually Patamon eats breakfast at home with us, but since he seemed to want to go have some fun, I took the food there. I'm surprised Terriermon didn't join him," Mickey mused curiously, pondering his own partner.

He feared for Patamon constantly. He and his Digimon had a good friendship, though someone watching from a distance would think their relationship had a strange dynamic. Patamon had practically no tact whatsoever, and Mickey often scolded him for that. It could be misunderstood as being overly harsh, but for the blue-haired boy it was his way of protecting his friend.

After all, the world could easily shatter childlike innocence, and he didn't want Patamon to go through what Terriermon had with Impmon. Even though Impmon had made amends, he and Terriermon never had the friendship that might have been possible if certain events hadn't occurred…

He shook himself out of these thoughts and tuned back in to Kara, who was talking about her desire to go to the Digital World.


End file.
